Weaving Wyrd and Spinning Too!

How are you? We're well over half-way through 2026. How are you holding up? We are living through challenging times. Heavy rains, or droughts depending upon where you live. Wildfires. War. Inflation. Politics. All that on a global scale, and then there are the personal challenges. I'm coming up on one year since my dad passed away at 91 years old last August. And then we lost my mom in January of this year. Grieving takes its wild ride as many know. I am doing ok. Or at least I like to try to think I am.

My art practice is what gets me through the bumps and curves of life. I often seem to gravitate toward some sort of daily art practice/challenge in addition to ongoing projects I'm working on. Two of them so far this year. I took on the 100 day project again in February. I didn't really set out with a plan. But I followed my interests and it lead to birdwatching! I decided on 100 days "For the Birds". I documented each day on my Instagram page. Some days I would create a little watercolor painting, other days I just photographed the birds in my backyard. It was lovely to observe the Spring migration season and just notice and listen and become inspired. I knew it would lead me somewhere.

And where it lead me is to starting a new tapestry earlier this year titled "For the Birds". It's been an on again, off again project. But lately I've been making good headway and hope to finish it within the next month.

Tour de Fleece 2026 Art Yarns

I also recently took part in the Tour de Fleece challenge of yarn spinning each day of the Tour de France. My husband and I enjoy watching the peloton on T.V. as it winds through France. We have traveled there several times and would love to go back again soon. I hadn't been finding time or inclination for much yarn spinning lately and I forgot how much I love it. I centers me, focuses me, relaxes me, and I end up with a beautiful product that I can either use in my weavings or sell in my Etsy shop. I ended up with 11 skeins of art yarn and documented my process of using all of my wheels and some of my spindles on YouTube and Instagram. It was good to get back on the wheel and ride!!!

Bleeding Hearts and Bumble Bees at Oak Park Art League

And I almost forgot! I was awarded an honorable mention in the Oak Park Art League's juried exhibit in June for my piece "Bleeding Hearts and Bumble Bees". This piece was a small tapestry weaving that was mounted beside a mirror image of a photo I took in my backyard in April. My bleeding heart plant came with the house over 30 years ago and is now center stage at over 4 feet tall. And the bees love it in the Spring as much as I do!

So, what's next as we move toward fall? Well, I am excited to say that I am participating in ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan this year for the first time. I have wanted to show my work there for awhile and I am finally pursuing it. I'm looking forward to seeing all of the other art exhibited there as well.  And I have some new small pieces in the works for the Mini Art exhibit later this year at the Oak Park Art League. I enjoy working at a small scale! I'm also making some new little art baskets for holiday sales. I think it's going to be a busy Fall 2026!